The goat bones and oyster shells tell us what our colonial forefathers ate. Stone jugs from Germany show where they traded, and stylish brass buckles and pointy leather shoes are a reminder that New Yorkers have always been fashion savvy.

These are among 65,000 historic artifacts that have turned up during construction at the South Ferry subway station, and offer a rare glimpse into colonial New York. Next month, a new exhibit will provide the public with a window into this vanished way of life.

The MTA must follow strict preservation law, and keeps archeologists on-call for when contractors encounter remains. Discovering materials sets off a chain of events that last for months, only wrapping up with a written history of the site and public preservations.